Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) Escalate Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)

• IOF shot dead a Palestinian woman the West Bank and extra-judicially executed a Palestinian activist in the Gaza Strip.

• Two Palestinians were extra-judicially executed by IOF in Bethlehem.

• 17 Palestinian civilians, including 7 children, were wounded by IOF gunfire.

• IOF continued to shell Palestinian areas in the northern Gaza Strip; two members of the Palestinian National Security Forces were killed and a third was wounded, when they attempted to deactivate an unexploded shell fired by IOF. 

• IOF conducted 37 incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank, particularly Nablus.

• 111 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children and two women, were arrested by IOF.

• Two houses were transformed by IOF into military sites.

• IOF have continued to impose a total siege on the OPT; IOF have continued to partially close border crossings of the Gaza Strip, the north of the West Bank has been separated from the center and south; IOF abused a number of Palestinian civilians, including journalists, at checkpoints in Hebron; and IOF arrested the wife and mother of an allegedly wanted Palestinian in the West Bank.

• IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall in the West Bank; IOF razed more areas of land in Yatta village, south of Hebron; IOF started to construct a fence around Sho’fat refugee camp near Jerusalem; and IOF used force against peaceful demonstrations organized in protest to the construction of the Wall, wounding 5 demonstrators with rubber-coated metal bullets.

• Israeli settlers have continued to attack Palestinian civilians and property in the OPT; Israeli settlers launched daily attacks on Palestinian civilians and their property in Hebron. 

Summary

Israeli violations of international law continued in the OPT during the reported period (27 April–3 May 2006):

Killing: On Thursday morning, 27 April 2006, IOF extra-judicially executed a member of the Islamic Jihad and wounded another in al-Zawaida village in the central Gaza Strip.  On Monday morning, 1 May 2006, IOF shot dead a Palestinian woman in Thinnaba suburb, east of Tulkarm, and wounded her three daughters.  IOF fired at the family’s house from a neighboring house they had seized and transformed into a military site.  On Tuesday, 2 May 2006, two members of the Palestinian National Security Forces were killed and a third was seriously wounded, when one of them attempted to deactivate an unexploded artillery shell fired by IOF at the north of Beit Lahia town, in the northern Gaza Strip. 

During the reported period, 17 Palestinian civilians (9 in the West Bank and 8 in the Gaza Strip), including 7 children, were wounded by IOF gunfire.  During the reported period, IOF continued to shell Palestinian areas in the Gaza Strip.  A number of houses and civilian facilities were damaged.

Incursions: During the reported period, IOF repeatedly moved into Nablus.  IOF also conducted 37 military incursions into Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  During these incursions, IOF raided houses and arrested 111 Palestinian civilians, including 14 children and two women.  In addition, IOF transformed two houses into military sites.  IOF used undercover units and trained dogs during these incursions.  In an attempt to exert pressure on allegedly wanted Palestinians to surrender, IOF arrested a number of their wives and mothers. 

Restrictions on Movement: IOF have continued to impose a comprehensive siege on the OPT, in violation of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights of Palestinian civilians. 

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on the Gaza Strip, transforming it into a large prison.  IOF have continued to monitor the movement of Palestinian civilians through Rafah International Crossing Point on the Egyptian border.  Although IOF have allowed the transportation of food aid from Egypt into the Gaza Strip through Kerem Shalom commercial crossing, southeast of Rafah, the crossing has not yet been officially opened.  IOF have also continued to prevent Palestinian workers from the Gaza Strip from reaching their work places in Israel through Beit Hanoun (Erez) crossing.  They have continued to prevent hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip from traveling to the West Bank.  IOF have partially reopened al-Mentar (Karni) commercial crossing, east of Gaza City.  As a result of the repeated closures of the crossing, the economic conditions in the Gaza Strip have deteriorated.   

IOF have continued to impose a tightened siege on Palestinian communities in the West Bank.  IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank have continued to impose severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  IOF have continued to separate the north and south of the West Bank.  IOF claimed that this measure is temporary.  During the reported period, IOF positioned at various checkpoints around Nablus imposed severe restrictions on the movement of Palestinian civilians.  IOF positioned at various checkpoints in the West Bank abused a number of Palestinian civilians, including journalists.  During the reported period, IOF at a checkpoint near Nablus arrested the wife and mother of an allegedly wanted Palestinian.

Annexation Wall: IOF have continued to construct the Annexation Wall inside the West Bank.  During the reported period, IOF continued to raze areas of Palestinian land in Kherbat al-Tawani area to the east of Yatta village, south of Hebron, in order to construct a section of the Wall in the area.  IOF engineering units also placed signs for the route of the Wall in al-Baq’a area in the northeast of Hebron.  According to eyewitnesses, IOF will construct a section of the Wall in the area on thousands of dunums of Palestinian agricultural land.  IOF started to establish a road linking villages located to the northwest of Jerusalem with the road leading to Ramallah, through al-Jeeb village.  IOF decided to establish this road after they had closed all outlets of the Wall in the area.  They claim that they decided to establish the road “to make it easier for Palestinians to move in the area.”  On Sunday, 30 April 2006, the Israeli cabinet voted to reroute an area near the major settlement of “Ariel” deep in the West Bank and approved putting temporary fencing around areas of Jerusalem.  These moves came in an effort to overcome temporary injunctions issued by the Israeli High Court stopping the construction of the Wall in some areas.  According to the Israeli cabinet’s latest decisions, Beit Eksa village, north of Jerusalem, would be put on the Palestinian side of the enclosure.  According to Israeli sources, the rerouting of the Wall around “Ariel” settlements aims to link it with the main route of the Wall to the south instead of the already decided route to the West Bank.  On the following day, IOF placed barbed wire around Sho’fat refugee camp and the neighboring Ras Khamis area, north of Jerusalem, to separate them from Jerusalem.  The separation of the camp from Jerusalem will impact the access of its population to educational and medical services in the city.  Palestinians living outside the camp will also face difficulties in accessing services inside the camp. 

Illegal Settler Activities: Israeli settlers in breach of international humanitarian law continue to reside in the OPT and have launched a series of attacks against Palestinian civilians and property.  During the reported period, Israeli settlers living in “Kiryat Arba” settlement, southeast of Hebron, seized more areas of Palestinian land near the settlement.  They also launched a series of attacks on Palestinian houses in Hebron.

 
Israeli Violations Documented during the Reporting Period (27 April–3 May 2006)

1.      Incursions into Palestinian Areas and Attacks on Palestinian Civilians and Property

Thursday, 27 April 2006

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, southwest of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 11 Palestinian civilians, including 5 children:

1.      ‘Arafat ‘Ali Abu Salah, 27;

2.      ‘Alaa’ Mohammed Abu al-Haija, 25;

3.      Eyad Tayseer Abu al-Haija, 17;

4.      Mohammed Ahmed Abu al-Haija, 14;

5.      Ameer Fa’eq Samara, 20;

6.      Mustafa ‘Adnan Abu al-Haija, 22;

7.      Suleiman Ahmed Abu al-Haija, 17;

8.      Kamel ‘Ezzat al-Ja’bari, 50;

9.      Ameer Kamel al-Ja’bari, 25;

10.  Mahmoud Kamel al-Ja’bari, 17; and

11.  Eihab ‘Adnan al-Ja’bari, 17. 

·      Also at approximately 01:30, IOF moved into Tubas village, southeast of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      Akram ‘Ali Sawafta, 27;

2.      Ahmed Mahmoud ‘Anbousi, 17; and

3.      Ashraf Fadi Abu Dawas, 18. 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Northern ‘Assira village, north of Nablus.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Bassel ‘Abdul Hakim Sawalha, 18;

2.      Bassel Mohammed Sawalha, 20;

3.      ‘Ammar Hussam Jarar’a, 20; and

4.      ‘Adnan Ahmed Jarar’a, 21. 

·      Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Beit Eiba village, west of Nablus.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      Mahmoud Ahmed Rasheed Dabbous, 22; and

2.      Mohammed Nabeel Dabbous, 20. 

·      Also at approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Khellat al-Dar area in the south of Hebron.  They searched and destroyed a number of caves, and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      Nader Suleiman Abu Hussein, 32; and

2.      Suleiman Jamal Abu Hussein, 24. 

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Um al-Sharayet neighborhood in the south of Ramallah.  They raided and searched a house belonging to Ahmed ‘Abdul ‘Aziz Malek, 44, a member of the newly elected Palestinian Legislative Council representing the Reform and Change Bloc of Hamas.  He has been recently elected as the representaitive of the refugee committee at the Council. 

·      Also at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-‘Obaidiya village, east of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Suhaib ‘Aziz al-‘Asa, 20, and arrested him. 

·      At approximately 04:30, IOF moved into Balata refugee camp, east of Nablus.  They patrolled the streets and opened fire.  They then raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian children:

1.      ‘Abdul Fattah Mahmoud Barham, 15; and

2.      ‘Aadel Hafez Abu al-Lail, 16. 

·      At approximately 09:30, IOF moved into Salem village, east of Nablus.  They took position at the entrance of the secondary school.  A number of students gathered in the school yard and threw stones at IOF vehicles.  Immediately, IOF fired at the students wounding 17-year-old Mahmoud ‘Ezzat ‘Emran with a rubber-coated metal bullet to the right foot. 

Friday, 28 April 2006

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Nablus and the neighboring ‘Askar refugee camp.  They besieged the Shalhoub apartment building in Street 6 in the Northern Mountain neighborhood.  They forced residents of the building outside.  They then raided the building and searched it.  IOF also raided and searched a number of houses in the city and the refugee camp and arrested 7 Palestinian civilians, including a child and the mother of an allegedly wanted Palestinian:

1.      Raqia Mohammed Lebbada, 45;

2.      Mohammed Nasser Ya’ish, 17;

3.      Sa’id Hani al-Kouni, 18;

4.      Mujahed Harbi Fatayer, 27;

5.      Ghazi Mohammed al-Bustami, 28;

6.      Helmi Sameer al-Danbak, 22; and

7.      Sameer Kittana, 22. 

Concerning repeated arrests of mothers of allegedly wanted Palestinians by IOF, Raqia Mohammed Mahmoud Lebbada, 45, stated to PCHR:

“At approximately 01:30 on Wednesday, 19 April 2006, we heard IOF soldiers knocking on our door in al-Qaisariya quarter in the old town of Nablus.  My husband, 54-year-old Mahmoud Ameen Mahmoud Lebbada, opened the door.  At least 20 soldiers broke into the house shouting at us to get out, and we did.  I forgot my child, 6-year-old Mohammed, sleeping in his room.  I asked a soldier to allow me to get into the house to awake him, but another soldier got out of the house carrying the child, who was crying.  I took him and hugged him.  One of the soldiers asked me about my son Ameen, and he threatened that if I did not tell them where he was, they would destroy the house.  He asked my son, 18-year-old Adham, the same question 6 times.  When we denied knowledge of his whereabouts, IOF soldiers started to destroy the furniture.  They also asked my husband about our son, and took my daughter, 16-year-old Ghoroub, into a room and interrogated her about her brother.  At approximately 02:30, they informed me that they would take me with them.  I was then wearing my nightwear.  I asked them to allow me to change my clothes, but they refused.  They forced me out. They ordered me to phone my son.  I told them that I do not have his phone number.  Immediately, a soldier pointed his gun to my head and took me 100 meters away.  They put me into an armored personnel carrier.  There, I saw Intissar Qandil, the mother of Sufian Qandil, who is also allegedly wanted by IOF.  They transported us to Hawara detention center, south of the city.  Approximately 20 minutes later, I saw soldiers bringing 3 other women into the detention center: Fadi Qaffisha’s wife; her mother; and a woman from the ‘Aqqouba family.  Qaffisha’s wife and her mother were in nightwear.  At approximately 11:00, they started to violently interrogate us.  At approximately 13:00, they released us.  At approximately 02:00 on Thursday, 20 April 2006, IOF raided our house and arrested me.  They took me to Hawara detention center.  They interrogated me.  I was so tired that I fainted.  I woke up at 10:00, finding myself at Belenson Hospital in Tel Aviv.  At approximately 19:00, 3 soldiers arrived at the hospital and transported me to Hawara checkpoint.  At approximately 01:00 on Wednesday, 26 April 2006, IOF arrested me and my husband.  They took us to Hawara detention center handcuffed and blindfolded.  A few hours later, a soldier forced us to run and violently beat us.  I fainted.  I woke up when they poured water onto me.  At approximately 13:00, they released us.  At approximately 02:00 on Friday, 28 April 2006, IOF raided our house and arrested me again.  I fainted while they were interrogating me.”

·      At approximately 03:00, IOF moved into Bourqin village, south of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Ahmed Mohammed Subeh, 25;

2.      Hilal Khaled ‘Ateeq, 24;

3.      ‘Omar Majed ‘Ateeq, 23; and

4.      Ahmed Khaled Mansour, 22. 

·      At approximately 03:30, IOF moved into Jalboun village, northeast of Jenin.  They raided and searched a house belonging to Radi Abu al-Rub, looking for his son Muarad, a police officer.  IOF left the house at 06:30 after demanding the family to hand him over and threatened to kill him if the family did not do so. 

·      At approximately 04:00, IOF moved into ‘Arraba village, southwest of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      ‘Alaa’ Nasri Abu ‘Aziz, 22;

2.      ‘Abdullah Ahmed Abu ‘Aziz, 20;

3.      Daoud Ahmed Abu ‘Obaid, 17;

4.      ‘Abdullah Nazmi ‘Aarda, 20; and

5.      Ahmed Mohammed ‘Aarda, 20. 

·      At approximately 18:30, IOF moved into Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya.  They raided a shop on the main street and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      Hilal Yousef Khuraisha, 21; and

2.      Khalil Ibrahim Khuraisha, 21. 

Saturday, 29 April 2006

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Qabatya village, southeast of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two brothers:

1.      Tawfiq Rasem Khuzamiya, 26; and

2.      Ahmed Rasem Khuzamiya, 24. 

IOF abused Palestinian civilians when raiding their houses.  In his testimony to PCHR, Rateb ‘Omar Khuzamiya, 57, said:

“At approximately 01:30 on Saturday, 29 April 2006, IOF soldiers knocked on our door and opened fire at the house.  I opened the door.  An IOF soldier ordered me to bring all those who were inside the house out and I did.  He asked men to uncover their chests and legs and we all did.  He asked me about my son, 37-year-old Yasser, and I denied any knowledge about him.  They took me and my son, 29-year-old Ayasr, into a jeep and then transported us to an intelligence officer who was in the area.  He said that his name is Talal.  He interrogated Ayasar and me about Yasser.  He then interrogated Yasser’s wife and she denied any knowledge about her husband.  The officer insulted us and threatened to kill Yasser.  Later, IOF soldiers broke into the house and searched it.  They withdrew from the area at approximately 04:00.”

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Wadi Foukin village, west of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of Yousef Mohammed al-Horoub, 25, and arrested him. 

·      In the morning, IOF shelled areas in the northern Gaza Strip.  The shelling continued sporadically until the evening and wounded 6 Palestinian civilians:

At approximately 14:30, ‘Abdul Qader Mohammed al-Kilani, 52, was wounded by shrapnel to the right hand, while he was farming his agricultural land in the north of Beit Lahia.  An artillery shell fired by IOF fell approximately 200 meters away from him.

At approximately 16:00, an artillery shell fired by IOF hit a 240-square-meter, two-storey house belonging to Mohammed Isma’il Abu ‘Ouda, in which 35 individuals (4 families) live, in the al-Amal neighborhood in Beit Hanoun.  The owner’s child, 13-year-old ‘Abduyl Rahman, was wounded by shrapnel throughout the body; and his grandchild, 5-year-old Mohammed, was wounded by shrapnel to the neck.  The shell hit the house while residents of the house were having lunch on the first floor.  In addition, Ahmed Ibrahim Na’im, 17, who was walking near the house, was seriously wounded by shrapnel to the head. 

At approximately 16:15, an artillery shell fired by IOF hit agricultural areas in the southeast of Beit Hanoun.  A Palestinian farmer and his child were wounded while they were farming their land:

1.      ‘Abdul Qader Ahmed al-Za’anin, 50, wounded by shrapnel to the abdomen and the limbs; and

2.      Mohammed ‘Abdul Qader al-Za’anin, 15, wounded by shrapnel to the right foot. 

·      At approximately 21:00, IOF moved into Jayous village, northeast of Qalqilya.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Hussam Mithqal Shamasna, 21;

2.      Muhab Mohammed Qe’dan, 19; and

3.      Hassan Tawfiq Esleem, 26. 

Sunday, 30 April 2006

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Hindaza Mount neighborhood in the east of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      ‘Ali Mohammed Nawawra, 23; and

2.      ‘Abdullah Yousef Falah, 25. 

At approximately 01:30, IOF moved towards Magharat al-Haleeb neighborhood to the southwest of the Church of the Nativity.  They raided and searched a house belonging to Mahmoud Hassan Sha’lan, looking for his son, 19-year-old Mohammed.  As they did not find him, they moved towards al-Feneeq wedding hall in the south of the town, where he works, and arrested him. 

Monday, 1 May 2006

·      At approximately 00:30, IOF moved into Bourqin village, south of Jenin.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 10 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Munther Mahmoud Abu Shadouf, 27;

2.      ‘Alaa’ Nemer Wardani, 20;

3.      Yasser Mohammed Subaih, 31;

4.      Qais Waleed Ghanem, 38;

5.      Nidal Jameel Salama, 21;

6.      Saleh Sadiq Subeh, 28;

7.      Ahmed Sa’id Salama, 26;

8.      Mohammed As’ad Khalaf, 23;

9.      ‘Arafat ‘Abdul Ra’ouf ‘Aamoudi, 24; and

10.  Nidal ‘Ali Shalamis, 30. 

·      At approximately 01:00, IOF moved into Beit Ta’mor village, east of Bethlehem.  They raided and searched  a number of houses and arrested 6 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Khaled Mohammed al-Wahesh, 21;

2.      Ahmed Mohammed al-Wahseh, 23;

3.      Mousa Mohammed al-Wahesh, 25;

4.      Ahmed ‘Alaa’ al-Wahesh, 21; and

5.      Mohammed Suleiman al-Wahesh, 22. 

·      At approximately 01:30, IOF moved into al-Yamoun village, west of Jenin.  They patrolled the streets and opened fire indiscriminately.  They withdrew from the village later and no casualties or arrests were reported. 

·      At approximately 01:45, IOF moved into Bani Na’im village, east of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 13 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Maher Hassan Ed’ais, 22;

2.      ‘Emad Shihda Manasra, 23;

3.      Yahia Taher Humaidat, 23;

4.      Mohammed ‘Ezzat Ed’ais, 26;

5.      Yasser ‘Ali Ed’ais, 24;

6.      Amjad Mousa Harahsha, 23;

7.      Suleiman Mousa Harahsha, 25;

8.      ‘Abdul Rahman Mousa Ed’ais, 26;

9.      Ahmed Mhamoud Taraira, 27;

10.  Daoud Mousa Judai’, 35;

11.  Taher Suleiman Danas, 26;

12.  Ra’ed Suleiman Danas, 29; and

13.  ‘Ali Mohammed Barakat, 41. 

·      At approximately 02:00, IOF moved into Yatta village, south of Hebron.  They raided and searched  a number of houses and arrested two Palestinian civilians:

1.      Mahmoud Jebril Makhamra, 27; and

2.      Mohammed Jebril Makhamra, 32. 

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Nablus.  They raided and searched a number of houses and apartment buildings in various areas in the city and arrested 5 Palestinian civilians, including a woman and a child:

1.      Ghada Haitham Estaitiya, 31;

2.      Haitham Mohammed Estaitiya, 33;

3.      Jamal Muneer Abu Salha, 16;

4.      Ayman Jalal Abu Salha, 25; and

5.      Tamer Nemer al-Meenawi, 16. 

·      Also at approximately 02:30, IOF moved into al-‘Arroub refugee camp, north of Hebron.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Tal’at ‘Aziz Rushdi, 26;

2.      Yousef Ahmed al-Teeti, 25;

3.      ‘Alaa’ Jaber al-Teeti, 23; and

4.      ‘Emad Adeeb al-Sakafi, 27. 

·      In the early morning, IOF shot dead a Palestinian woman in Thinnaba suburb, east of Tulkarm, and wounded her three daughters.  IOF fired at the family’s house from a neighboring house they had seized and transformed into a military site. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 04:00, IOF moved into Thinnaba suburb, east of Tulkarm.  The besieged a number of houses in the south of the suburb and opened fire indiscriminately.  They then raided a 3-storey house belonging to ‘Othman al-Fahmawi, and transformed its roof into a military site.  IOF ordered residents of a house through megaphones to get out without specifying the targeted house.  At approximately 05:15, IOF opened fire at a house belonging to Yousef Mahmoud Zayet, 48.  As a result, his wife, 44-year-old ‘Etaf Ahmed Mahmoud Qassem, 44, was killed by a live bullet to the head.  His three daughters were also wounded:

1.      Ahlam, 21, seriously wounded by 3 live bullets to the left forearm and leg;

2.      Ansam, 19, wounded by a live bullet to the side; and

3.      Angham, 14, wounded by shrapnel to the neck. 

IOF also arrested Eyad Mohammed Mo’een, 29, who was allegedly wanted for being a member of the Islamic Jihad.  They forced him to get out of the building almost naked.  IOF then destroyed parts of the fence and the first floor of the house. 

In his testimony to PCHR about his wife’s death, Yousef Mahmoud Zayet, 48, said:

“At approximately 04:00 on Monday, 1 May 2006, we woke up hearing a person calling through a megaphone in Arabic, with a foreign accent: ‘It is better for you to get out of the house.  Get out or we will demolish the house over you and then, do not blame anyone, but yourself.’ We did not know which house he meant, as we live on the second floor of an apartment building, which is surrounded by many houses.  My wife attempted to look through the window, but IOF fired a sound bomb in the area, so she moved back and we sat in the living room.  Soon after, our neighbor, ‘Abdul Rahman al-Masri, 65, and his wife came to our house.  At approximately 05:15, I head sounds of gunshots coming from the east.  Soon, I heard my daughter, 21-year-old Ahlam screaming: ‘My hand… my hand.’ I ran towards her and found that she was bleeding as she was hit by a live bullet to the left forearm.  Soon, my other daughter, 19-year-old Ansam, screamed: ‘My mother… my mother.’  I looked at my wife.  I saw blood covering her face.  I moved closer to her.  I saw parts of her brain out of the head.  My wife was sitting on the ground, when she was shot, and we were not moving inside the house.  I got out and screamed on IOF soldiers.  They ordered me to take my upper clothes off and I did.  I told them that my wife was dead and my daughter was wounded, and I asked them to allow medical crews to enter the house, but they refused for 15 minutes.  I went back to the house and sat my daughter Ahlam on a plastic chair.  She screamed: ‘My leg.’  I discovered that she was wounded by another live bullet to the leg.  I carried her with my neighbor’s assistance and took her out of the house.  There, my other daughter, 19-year-old Ansam, fell onto the ground.  We discovered that she was wounded by a live bullet to the side.  My third daughter, 14-year-old Angham, was wounded by shrapnel to the neck.  We evacuated them to the hospital.  Later, I learnt that IOF had seized an apartment building belonging to ‘Othman al-Fahmawi to the east of my house and IOF fired at my house from there.”

·      At approximately 12:00, IOF moved into Jericho.  They raided and searched a bakery in the al-Arab neighborhood in the north of the town, and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      ‘Emad ‘Aqel, 34;

2.      Yasser Hamadna, 23; and

3.      Tariq Dawas, 24. 

·      At approximately 19:00, IOF moved into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.  They opened fire at houses and shops, damaging a number of them. 

·      At approximately 23:30, IOF moved again into ‘Azzoun village, east of Qalqilya.  They raided and searched a house belonging to the family of ‘Essam Ibrahim ‘Owaida, 19, and arrested him. 

Tuesday, 2 May 2006

·      At approximately 02:10, IOF moved into Balata and the neighboring Balata refugee camp.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 4 Palestinian civilians, including a child:

1.      Hamza No’man Mashayekh, 24;

2.      Mohammed Mahmoud al-Asmar, 23;

3.      Ahmed Mahmoud al-Asmar, 20, who is blind; and

4.      Diaa’ Aysar Hinnawi, 16. 

·      At approximately 02:30, IOF moved into Bethlehem.  They raided and searched a number of houses and arrested 3 Palestinian civilians:

1.      Shehada Mohammed Shehada, 18, arrested to pressure his father who is allegedly wanted by IOF to surrender;

2.      Riad Isma’il Zawahra, 30; and

3.      Ahmed Yasser Maslma, 20. 

·      At approximately 04:45, IOF moved into Ektaba village, northeast of Tulkarm.  They besieged a house belonging to Shadi Mahmoud Fawaz’a, 32.  They called through megaphones on residents of the house to get out with their hands up.  Fawaz’a got out of the house and told them that he was the only man in the house, but they ordered him to bring his wife and children out.  When the wife and the children came out, IOF held them near the house.  They then stormed and searched the house.  Before their withdrawal, they arrested Fawaz’a, who is a police officer. 

·      In the afternoon, two members of the Palestinian National Security Forces were killed and a third was seriously wounded, when one of them attempted to deactivate an unexploded artillery shell fired by IOF at the north of Beit Lahia town, in the northern Gaza Strip. 

According to investigations conducted by PCHR, at approximately 12:45, a heavy explosion was heard inside a site of the Palestinian National Security Forces in the east of Jabalya refugee camps.  The explosion killed two security men and seriously wounded a third one.  According to eyewitnesses, 3 unexploded artillery shells fired by IOF on the northern Gaza Strip had been brought into the site.  They were put in the office of Officer Khaled Sa’id Fannouna, 33, from Nusairat refugee